Experts interviewed: Lu Zhi, professor of conservation biology, Peking University
On February 24, the 16th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress passed the National People's Congress Standing Committee's comprehensive ban on illegal wildlife trade, the eradication of wild habits of overeating wildlife, and effective protection of the people's health and safety. The "Decision" (hereinafter referred to as the "Decision") will come into effect on the date of promulgation.
According to the Russian satellite news agency, the "Decision" is based on the Wildlife Protection Law and is oriented towards a comprehensive ban on the consumption of wild animals. It has expanded the scope of legal adjustments and established a system for the complete ban on the consumption of wild animals. Violations of existing laws and regulations shall be punished on the basis of the existing laws in order to reflect stricter management and severe crackdown.
Reuters reported recalling the speech of General Secretary Xi Jinping at the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee on February 3: "We have long recognized that the consumption of wild animals is very risky, but the 'wild game industry' is still large in scale and constitutes a threat to public health and safety. There are major hidden dangers. You can't be indifferent anymore! "
The "Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Comprehensively Banning the Trading of Illegal Wildlife, Eliminating the Bad Habits of Wild Animals, and Effectively Safeguarding People's Health and Safety" passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is an "urgent decision. The first is to control public health risks. The epidemic we are facing is caused by wild animals, and the spread of the disease is difficult to rule out a direct relationship with the illegal trade and overeating of wild animals. Second, measures to strengthen ecosystem protection. In recent years, biodiversity has been constantly destroyed, and illegal consumption of wildlife is one of the reasons. The loss of biodiversity leads to a decline in the stability of the ecosystem, and it will also have a negative impact on human survival. In this context, it is necessary to prohibit, regulate and guide through the legal system.
From SARS to bird flu, from plague to new crown pneumonia, new epidemic diseases are closely related to wildlife in recent years. This gives us an important warning that humans need to rethink and build relationships with wildlife, and can no longer cross the boundaries with wildlife at will, including illegal occupation of wildlife habitats and illegal wildlife trade. In addition, in the wildlife trade chain, gathering different kinds of wild animals that are not related to their living environment in small and dirty spaces in a series of processes from hunting, transportation to the market will increase the virus's transmission between species risk.
At present, the world is protecting biodiversity and cracking down on the illegal wildlife trade, but this work faces many difficulties. There is also a complex trade chain behind the illegal wildlife trade. Therefore, a key to comprehensively banning illegal wildlife trade is to reduce consumption and educate consumers not to overeat wild animals and control demand from the source. This is also a focus of the Decision. The "Decision" defines wild eating as "bad habits" because in China, people's basic survival needs for protein no longer need to be obtained from wild animals, and eating wild animals is actually a luxury consumption. Therefore, while cracking down on illegal trade, it is equally important to value education and guidance to consumers. Only by abolishing this bad habit can the trade chain of illegal wild animals be cut off from the source.
The current fight against the epidemic across the country is an opportunity for education. More and more people are aware of the dangers of wild animal eating, and have gradually formed public opinions, which has caused some social pressure on the illegal wildlife trade. This is a good phenomenon. But we must also be alert to the diminishing public opinion after the epidemic. Therefore, continuous education after the end of the epidemic is very important, including social education and school education, promoting consumers to establish scientific and reasonable consumption concepts, and constructing healthy living habits and civilized ideas are the fundamental ways to solve the problem.
The "Decision" has a guiding role for the revision and improvement of the Wildlife Protection Law in the future. The ban on illegal wildlife trade has always been a problem all over the world. This time, the Chinese government's determination has boosted confidence around the world. Although it is difficult, we still have to face it. This step is very commendable.
The next step is the revision and improvement of relevant laws. Several aspects are the focus of efforts. The first is to expand the scope of wildlife protection; the second is to define the legal and illegal boundaries of wildlife use, increase the punishment of illegal acts, increase the cost of illegal crimes, and play a deterrent role; the third is to improve relevant supporting laws and regulations. The National List of Key Protected Wildlife urgently needs to be updated, and regulations and management regulations on wildlife quarantine are urgently to be promulgated. Fourth, the public's right to know, participate, and supervise should also be guaranteed by law.
(Interview with Li Zhihong)